OMG! My elbows are inflamed, along with everything else right now. I'm flaring horribly. So, my ulnar nerve doesn't lie properly in the channel it's supposed to. My sister has the same problem and is on disability because the repetitive bending of her arm at her job caused severe problems with her arm due to this nerve problem. When my elbows are inflamed, they affect my ulnar nerve. This time, it's REALLY bad! Think funny bone pain constantly. Severe shooting nerve pain down my arm into my wrists, pinky, and ring fingers. Just bending my elbows to use my iPhone like right now, causes these shooting pains to be severe. My fingers and side of hand are also tingling and have pins & needles feeling + weakness.

Has anyone else had anything like this happen? Anyone know what kind of dr I should go see to have this looked at? I know there's a surgical method to re-route the ulnar nerve so it doesn't cause these problems. I certainly don't want surgery, but it would be preferable to this pain.

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.

I think I'm going to call my rheumy tomorrow and beg, plead, offer sexual favors, whatever it takes... to work me in for some steroid injections in my elbows to bring down the inflammation. I hope he can get me in tomorrow or Monday. The shooting pain + pain in my wrist, hand, & fingers is terrible. Just brushing my teeth was agonizing.

* of course I'm just kidding about the sexual favors part. My rheumy is older than my father and certainly not my type. ;-)

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.

Jenn, hope you get some relief soon. I have had a milder version of this for years. Can you use blue tooth with your iphone? I've used a headset for years to avoid the elbow bending pain (plus holding a phone also flares my wrists).

I use my iPhone primarily for stuff like this, Facebook, and web surfing & shopping. I rarely actually talk on the phone. I do have a great Bluetooth set, but unfortunately, the mic picks up the extra noises of kids playing and stuff.

I just need to get an iPad. I wrapped my arm in an ace bandage for sleeping so I don't bend my elbow in my sleep. Hopefully that will help. Hopefully I'll be able to get into rheumy for injections too. I'm using my iPhone with my arm wrapped the screen is do far from my face that I can't actually read the text I'm typing, just can see the letters on the touch keyboard. Lol. I hope I don't have too many typos I'll have to check better than usual.

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.

Jenn, maybe a neurologist should direct care for this? Is a rheumy the right person to do injections near a nerve? Does he use fluoroscopy or ultrasound for guidance? At any rate, hope you get relief soon! Maybe something like neurontin or gabapentin could help (if you're not already on one/already tried them)

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Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates

My sister is seeing an orthopedic dr for her cubital tunnel syndrome. She's going to have surgery to reroute the nerve. Her problem was caused by repetitive stress injury causing scarring. Mine is from inflammation from arthritis. Seems my rheumy should be treating the inflammation. I know he does elbow injections. I feel comfortable allowing him to do it. I know there's some concern with it being do close to the nerve, but if i were to be referred to a neurologist for this, I'll be waiting 3-4 months at least to get a new patient appt. Same if I were to see an ortho. I'll take my chances with my rheumy. This hurts sooo bad.

I did actually just start gabapentin. My dr is being ultra conservative I think. She started me on 100mg 1/day, then 2/day up to 3/day if side effects were tolerable. It's been 3 days and I'm taking 3/day with no side effects to mention. I'm going to call her and ask if I should start taking 2 pills 3X/day. She wants me to work up to 1200-2400 mg. It's my psych who put me on it. She's hoping it'll relieve pain plus stabilize moods as I'm mildly bipolar.

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.

I hear ya on the rheumy treating inflammation - as long as you are comfortable with him as a proceduralist it sounds like you have a good plan! I understand not wanting to wait for a neuro, who might or might not do injections him/herself anyway!

Hope the gaba helps with the nerve and the bipolar! My partner has a mild form of bipolar disorder as well and has had good success with lamotrigine, have you tried that one?

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Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates

Never tried that med. I've only ever tried SSRIs and now and SSNRI, Pristiq. Never been on a mood stabilizer before. I pushed for it because the manic episodes are so frustrating because I don't have the ability to get out that creative energy like before, and the insomnia leads to a flare. I crash into a pretty bad depression, and with this disease and the disability it's caused in so short a time, I've been suicidal during those lows. I wasnt on any meds for about 2 years and did ok, but my last crash was really bad, so I went back to my psych.

My rheumy could only work me in at the same time we're taking our youngest to his yearly visit with his "tummy mom." Can't reschedule that on such short notice. I'm going to have to deal with this until Monday. Not fun. Nerve pain really sucks! I've dealt with more than my fair share between the Sciatic nerve impingement and anterior talofibular reconstruction: incision was right along the nerve that runs from ankle to little toe. I know that pain meds don't touch that kind of nerve pain. :-(

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.

Anti-depressants aren't appropriate therapy for bipolar disorder.... bipolar isn't simply depression with mania, it's a whole different thing. Definitely push for a proper medication, could make a huge difference for you!!!

So sorry you have to delay till Monday, but glad you have a good relationship with the doc and can get fit in so soon!

_________________________
Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates

Went to my rheumy this morning. He said I've got severe tendinitis in both elbows. Because I've got neuropathy, he would not do injections. He said it's too risky. Said to either wait & see if Humira kicks in or go to my pcp & get a referral to a neuro or ortho. Ugh. At least the pain isn't as bad as it was Thurs-Fri.

I did get double shoulder injections. It's been killer to even wash my hair the past week.

*I am in no way associated with the medical profession other than doing my best to keep them in business. Any advice I give is purely my own opinion and should not be substituted for qualified professional care.